Senators Durbin, Kirk praise allergy bill passage

CHICAGO (AP) - Legislation sponsored by Illinois' two U.S. senators aimed at protecting schoolchildren from allergy attacks is heading to President Barack Obama's desk.

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act is sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin and co-sponsored by Sen. Mark Kirk, among others. It encourages states across the nation to improve school access to medication used to treat children's allergy attacks. The legislation builds upon a 2011 Illinois law that allows schools to maintain a supply of epinephrine on site to treat student allergies.

The measure was passed by the House of Representatives in July and the Senate on Thursday.

Kirk, a Highland Park Republican, says he was inspired to work on the legislation after meeting a Lake Forest family whose two children suffer from severe food allergies.

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